8/3/2013 at Sunset Speedway Park

Greg Walters Wins Doug Walters Classic; Schram, Farrar, Koch, And Smith Back In Victory Lane
By Ben Deatherage
The Doug Walters Classic proved to be a great night of racing at Sunset Speedway Park in Banks on Saturday August 3rd. The race, ran in memory of former promoter Doug Walters, had action packed races in each division that was on hand competing. Those divisions included the Northwest Extreme Late Model Series, IMCA Modifieds, Street Stocks, 4-Bee’s, and Womens. A complete invert would take place for all of the features putting drivers that were fast earlier in the evening in the back of the grid for the main events and made for some great racing with lots of passing.

The Northwest Extreme Late Model Series were on hand yet again at the Banks bullring and Greg Walters was looking for his fifth straight Doug Walters Classic victory, a race named in honor of his late father. The sixty-seven lap feature, which represented Doug Walters’ old number he raced, had its fair share of cautions in the early goings.

It looked like it was going to be another “Superman” show when Collen Winebarger put himself out in front after a few laps were complete. Winebarger’s Discount Race Car Parts/All-In Property Investments/Hillsboro Vac & Sew #1 MasterSbilt entry would stay out in front until Greg Walters managed to reel him in. Walters, of Banks, would obtain the lead on lap twenty-six and refused to let go of it.

Walters would dominate the rest of the way lapping all the way up to sixth place. Crossing the line in first it would be an extremely emotional scene in victory lane as Walters has won every single race named in his late father’s honor. It is also the fifth time that Walters has put his T&G Trucking/American Landscaping #97 Victory Circle machine in the winner’s circle in 2013 when competing against the Northwest Extreme Late Model Series.

A pair of youngsters would finish second and third. Brad Martin of Warren would place his Reser’s Fine Foods/Wayne Martin Floor Covering #99 MasterSbilt ended the night in the runner-up spot followed by Lebanon’s Tanner Wines in third driving the Pickle Trucking/James Gang Pizza #77 entry for car owner Kris Pickle. Jerry Schram of Vancouver, Washington was fourth in his Schram Brothers Excavating/Century III Stables #16 MasterSbilt while fifth went to the Jackhammer Trucing/T&G Trucking #76 Rayburn of Jason Johnson from Gresham.

Greg Walters was fast time of the night earlier in the evening. Heat races were won by the Ireland & Ireland at Law #8I machine of Rob Ireland from Banks and Collen Winebarger while Brad Martin would win the trophy dash.

Jerry Schram would not only be doing double duty but would also take care of business in the IMCA Modified ranks. Schram, who started on the pole, would take full advantage of his starting front row spot and build a good size lead. The only thing that would slow him down would be a caution flag that would occur but he would master the ensuing restart and put his Schram Brothers Excavating/Century III Stables #16 Modified in victory lane for the first time this year. Schram is now the eighth different Modified winner in eight races this year at SSP.

Kris Asche, making the long tow from Shelton, Washington, would cross the stripe in second in his #50K Renegade while the Aloha Station Tavern/Perfection Automotive #66 FR1 of Doug Lockwood from Aloha would place third. Completing the top five finishing order was the Ireland and Ireland at Law/Applebee Aviation/Dairy Folks Farm #8 Dirt Works of Rob Ireland in fourth and Hockinson, Washington’s Tanner Baldwin in the Harry’s Locksmith/Discount Race Car Parts/Marty’s Transmissions #15 Shaw in fifth. The Reser’s Fine Foods/Wayne Martin Floor Covering/M&B Cylinder Heads #99 entry of Jeremy Martin from Warren was the heat race winner while Kris Asche would win the trophy dash.

A strong field of Street Stocks was represented last Saturday night. Marc Farrar of Sherwood in the AFT Racing/Aftermarket Enterprises #5 Camaro would capture the lead on lap three and would battle hard to keep it with Brian Roden from West Linn. Roden, in The Club Sport Oregon #14 Camaro, kept the pressure on Farrar but Farrar would stay out in front to win his second race of 2013.

Roden would earn a well-deserved second followed by the #3 Camaro of Hillsboro’s Earl Claypool in third. The Ireland and Ireland at Law #88 of John Ireland from Banks ended his evening in fourth while behind him in fifth was Stan Asonovic of Forest Grove in the #26 machine.

The 4-Bee feature would be a bout between the “Buxton Boys”. Travis Koch and Jason Blythe would have a hot contest for the lead with Koch eventually prevailing in his #21 machine. It would be Koch’s second win of the current campaign.

Jason Blythe and his #12 mount would finish second while third was John Henry from Hillsboro in the #68. Hillsboro’s Nick Henry in the #22 was fourth with fifth place going to Banks’ Mike Mastrangelo in his #00 entry. Heat race winners were Mastrangelo and Nick Henry while Blythe would win the dash.

McMinnville’s Freya Smith returned back to her winning ways and in doing so would win her eighth race of 2013. Smith, who started in the back, cut her way through the field quickly and obtained the lead on lap four. She would also earn a clean sweep after winning the heat as well as the dash in her Sweere's Auto Body/Sweere's Trucking/Tire Factory of McMinnville #37 Camaro.

Gabrielle Hollinger from Timber in the All In Property Investments/Duncan Automotive/Avenue Settlement Corporation #60 Camaro was second and finishing in third place was Becca Pickeril of Rainier in the #61 machine. The rest of the top five would be made up of the #23 Camaro of Cori Vandercoevering from Banks in fourth and the Ram Light Truck Salvage/Napa Auto Parts #33 driver by Portland’s Theresa Gartner in fifth.

Sunset Speedway Park will be back at it on Saturday August 10th for another action filled evening. Classes competing will be the Northwest Wingless Tour, Street Stocks, and Northwest Extreme Modifieds. The Street Stocks will take part in their biggest race of the season the annual Jim’s Thriftway 100. Be sure and not miss out on the excitement. For more information log on to www.sunsetspeedwaypark.com or call (360)-699-RACE.

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